The children of diabetic mothers are more prone to obesity but new research shows that breastfeeding can reduce the risk.

Researchers observed 94 children of diabetic pregnancies, as well as 399 of non-diabetic pregnancies, from birth to age 13. They found the same pattern for both groups – children who were breastfed had slower body mass index (BMI) growth.

The findings present an opportunity for diabetic mothers to normalise their babies’ BMI growth through breastfeeding.